Experience Macbeth as a powerful full-cast drama with entertaining and enlightening commentary that explains what's what and who's who as the plot unfolds. To help you get the most out of Shakespeare, the narrator offers historical insights and background information, so you can enjoy the jokes, appreciate the references, and get a real sense of Shakespeare's world.

Experience King Lear as a powerful full-cast drama with entertaining and enlightening commentary that explains what's what and who's who as the plot unfolds. To help you get the most out of Shakespeare, the narrator offers historical insights and background information, so you can enjoy the jokes, appreciate the references, and get a real sense of Shakespeare's world.

Experience Othello as a powerful full-cast drama with entertaining and enlightening commentary that explains what's what and who's who as the plot unfolds. To help you get the most out of Shakespeare, the narrator offers historical insights and background information, so you can enjoy the jokes, appreciate the references, and get a real sense of Shakespeare's world.

Experience Julius Caesar as a powerful full-cast drama with entertaining and enlightening commentary that explains what's what and who's who as the plot unfolds. To help you get the most out of Shakespeare, the narrator offers historical insights and background information, so you can enjoy the jokes, appreciate the references, and get a real sense of Shakespeare's world.

Experience Romeo and Juliet as a powerful full-cast drama with entertaining and enlightening commentary that explains what's what and who's who as the plot unfolds. To help you get the most out of Shakespeare, the narrator offers historical insights and background information, so you can enjoy the jokes, appreciate the references, and get a real sense of Shakespeare's world.

Experience Twelfth Night as a powerful full-cast drama with entertaining and enlightening commentary that explains what's what and who's who as the plot unfolds. To help you get the most out of Shakespeare, the narrator offers historical insights and background information, so you can enjoy the jokes, appreciate the references, and get a real sense of Shakespeare's world.

Experience Henry V as a powerful full-cast drama with entertaining and enlightening commentary that explains what's what and who's who as the plot unfolds. To help you get the most out of Shakespeare, the narrator offers historical insights and background information, so you can enjoy the jokes, appreciate the references, and get a real sense of Shakespeare's world.

Hamlet: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition

Hamlet, Shakespeare's most popular, and perhaps most puzzling play, follows the form of a "revenge tragedy", in which the hero, Hamlet, seeks vengeance against his father’s murderer, his uncle Claudius, now the king of Denmark. Much of its fascination, however, lies in its uncertainties. This new full-cast recording - based on the most respected edition of Shakespeare's classic - expertly produced by the Folger Theatre, is perfect for students, teachers, and the everyday listener.

The Life and Writings of C. S. Lewis

What can we still learn from C.S. Lewis? Find out in these 12 insightful lectures that cover the author's spiritual autobiography, novels, and his scholarly writings that reflect on pain and grief, love and friendship, prophecy and miracles, and education and mythology.

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

The young Danish Prince, Hamlet, is vexed by a trip home to Denmark from school in Germany, to attend his father, the king's funeral. Upon arriving at home, Hamlet has discovered that his mother has already become married to the former King's brother, Hamlet's uncle. What's more, the man has declared himself to be King of Denmark even though Hamlet was the true and rightful heir. Hamlet is enraged by this deception, and immediately suspects foul play in his father's murder.

Three powerful radio productions from the BBC archives starring Ian McKellen, Ronald Pickup and Paul Scofield and a host of celebrated acting talent. These three legendary plays, performed by some of the best-known theatrical actors of the 20th century, are the perfect way to commemorate England's greatest dramatist.

The Tempest

Sir Ian McKellen, fresh from his performance as Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, is Prospero, and heads a strong cast in Shakespeare’s last great play. The wronged duke raises a tempest to shipwreck his old opponents on his island so that he can ensure justice is done. With Emilia Fox as Miranda, Scott Handy in the pivotal role of the sprite Ariel, and Ben Owukwe as Caliban.

King Richard III

Written in 1593, King Richard III is one of Shakespeare's earliest plays. This play differs from its predecessors, being amore structured piece, examining the development and motivations of a single character, Richard Duke of Gloucester, who will stop at nothing to gain control of the throne occupied by his brother Edward IV.

Henry V: Arkangel Shakespeare

Henry V is a study of kingship, patriotism, and heroic determination tempered by tender comedy as Henry courts Katherine, princess of France. Henry, the noble and courageous young king of England, decides to invade France, believing he has a rightful claim to the throne. At Agincourt he leads his army into battle against the powerful French forces and, against all the odds, wins a famous victory.

William E. Hendry says:"Enjoyable and lets you stand in history's place ."

The Complete Sonnets of William Shakespeare

For sustained dramatic intrigue and sophistication of plot, William Shakespeare's sonnets are at least the equal of his greatest plays. Throughout the centuries since their first publication in 1609, critics, psychologists and curiosity-seekers alike have pondered the nature of the poet's relationships with the mysterious young man, "Mr. W.H.", and the "ill-coloured" Dark lady.

A Midsummer Night's Dream: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition

In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare stages the workings of love in unexpected ways. In the woods outside Athens, two young men and two young women sort themselves into couples - but not before they form first one love triangle, and then another. The king and queen of fairyland, Oberon and Titania, battle over custody of an orphan boy. Oberon uses magic to make Titania fall in love with a weaver named Bottom, in an effort to distract Titania from the custody battle.

Joshua Eichenhorn says:"Great for Reading along to the Folger edition!"

Richard II: Arkangel Shakespeare

The sensitive and poetic Richard II is undoubtedly the rightful king of England but he is unscrupulous and weak. When his cousin Henry Bolingbroke returns from banishment and mounts a challenge to his authority, Richard's right to the throne proves of little help to him. Richard is forced to abdicate, but as his power is stripped away, he gains dignity and self-awareness, and he meets his death heroically.

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

The dead do not sleep in Denmark. Thrice the vision of the suddenly departed king has haunted the night watchmen. Upon seeing his own son, prince Hamlet, the ghost calls him away to divulge most nefarious secret. This most noble king was murdered by his own brother, Hamlet's uncle, who now wears his crown and beds his bride. To the prince he charges with the unholy quest to avenge his death and kill his murderer. Young Hamlet, shocked and amazed, swears to do the bloody deed. Thus begins one of the greatest works by the greatest English author - William Shakespeare.

The Modern Scholar: Shakespeare: The Seven Major Tragedies

Shakespeare's seven great tragedies contain unmistakable elements that set them apart from any other plays ever written. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare embodied in the character of Juliet the world's most impressive representation ever of a woman in love. With Julius Caesar, the great playwright produced a drama of astonishing and perpetual relevance.

Hamlet

Jamie Parker stars as the Prince of Denmark in this brand new BBC Radio 4 full-cast production. At the Castle of Elsinore in Denmark, the court is uneasy. The king of Denmark has recently died and the throne has been claimed by the king's brother, Claudius. Prince Hamlet, still in mourning for his father, distrusts Claudius and believes that what has happened at the court 'cannot come to good’. The ghost of his father has told him he was murdered by Claudius.

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel

It is a tale of ghosts, of madness, of revenge - of old alliances giving way to new intrigues. Denmark is changing, shaking off its medieval past. War with Norway is on the horizon. And Hamlet - son of the old king, nephew of the new - becomes increasingly entangled in a web of deception - and murder. Beautifully performed by actor Richard Armitage ("Thorin Oakenshield" in the Hobbit films), Hamlet, Prince of Denmark takes Shakespeare’s original into unexpected realms, reinventing a story we thought we knew.

Julius Caesar: A Fully-Dramatized Audio Production From Folger Theatre

The Folger Shakespeare Library, home to the world's largest Shakespeare collection, brings Julius Caesar to life with this new full-length, full-cast dramatic recording of its definitive Folger Edition.

Macbeth: Fully Dramatized Audio Edition

Macbeth, one of Shakespeare's most popular plays, is among the most powerful and influential tragedies in the English language. Promised a golden future as ruler of Scotland by three sinister witches, Macbeth murders the king in order to succeed to the throne. Tortured by his conscience and fearful of discovery, he becomes fatally enmeshed in a web of treachery and deceit.

Publisher's Summary

Experience Hamlet as a powerful full-cast drama with entertaining and enlightening commentary that explains what's what and who's who as the plot unfolds. To help you get the most out of Shakespeare, the narrator offers historical insights and background information, so you can enjoy the jokes, appreciate the references, and get a real sense of Shakespeare's world.

The unabridged drama is also presented without commentary. If school turned you off Shakespeare, find out what you've been missing all these years with this beautifully crafted audio presentation.

From the creators of SmartPass audio education study guides, voted third in a national poll to find the UK's favourite audibook (2008). Winners of three Spoken Word Awards for Best Drama (2004), Best Original Audio, and Best Publishing Initiative (2005).

Let's admit it, Shakespeare is daunting! I have a goal to read all of the plays, and then perhaps the sonnets, etc., but sometimes I don't know where to start. When I found this audio book that includes a commentary, I snapped it up. I could listen to and enjoy the fabulous play, but when I got lost or just didn't understand something, the commentator was there to help. She helped me understand word usage of the time, symbolism, and other useful things that are jam-packed in this play and make it the classic that it is. For me it was perfect. You can listen without the commentary as well, for people who would rather not have those comments going on but want to hear some great readers performing this play. I will definitely pick up other titles in this series.

This is the second "Shakespeare Appreciated" recording I have listened to. The first was "Julius Caesar". The performance was just as good but the commentary was almost non-existent. Pretty much "Hamlet enters..." or "Hamlet exits...” If you have no concern for the commentary you will enjoy this.

This is an excellent narration of Hamlet. The performance keeps the story moving. The version with commentary gives great insight into the play. I enjoyed listening to both versions of the play. Great for students reading Hamlet for the first time as well as for those who have read it many times over. A must buy for your collection.

While I have loved the poetry of Hamlet, it wasn't until I listened to this performance of the play - powerfully well done - with commentary that I was able to transcend 21st century culture and immerse myself in the depths of Hamlet. The program unveiled my brain to the beauty which had been previously obscure.

This could be helpful for an introductory student of Shakespeare and "Hamlet". There is some dramatization (carefully and rightfully described as being "speculative", as are all details of Shakespeare's life and literary motives) of Shakespeare's possible thinking when he wrote "Hamlet". Then there's a complete version of the play, done very well, but with extensive commentary. Anyone interested in getting to know Shakespeare but unfamiliar with the language of the time could find all this interruption helpful. My reservation is that it can also be somewhat confusing. I believe this might be better done (and perhaps has been done) in a video format. This is a noble effort, and I hope it might bring more people to an appreciation of "Hamlet".

I would recommend this book to any students who may be studying Hamlet, both for the insight into how it is performed and the integrated commentary which fills in an enormous amount of background detail without slowing down the story too much.

What did you like best about this story?

The most outstanding feature was the research and insight that went into the commentary. This is not a cheap cash in on a famous title.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

The book is very dense and may give you a bit of indigestion if listened to quickly. That said, I was in a hurry and used the 2x speed on the iPhone and was still able to follow it well.

Any additional comments?

An important note: if you just want to listen to the dramatized reading of the play, just play Part 2. It doesn't have any commentary.

Listen to the version with commentary, then the one without, for a fantastic experience, as you will then understand every utterance! This would have been time-consuming in print, but it goes by quickly with Audible. Thanks for a great series. The actors are very professional and do the master justice.

Plays are a visual thing for us, even for those who went to "hear a play" back in Shakespeare's time - they at least looked at people occasionally to sort everyone out (if they were paying attention). Reading a play is easier as well compared to having to listen to an audio version.

I was preparing to direct Hamlet and wanted to drown myself in the play as much as possibel so I got this to listen to while in the car. Wonderful attempt at performing the play tho as a fan of Shakespeare, the commentary did get in the way a bit. It's great for beginners and those who have issues with Shakespeare's language!

Where does Hamlet rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I always enjoy dramatizations, and this is a good one. I use it to help my students hear Shakespeare as they find it very hard to read. The kids enjoy the production and find it easy to follow and interesting. Keep in mind, however, that the dramatized version WITHOUT commentary doesn't start until chapter 27. I find this backwards, but either way, I guess it works.

Any additional comments?

I do appreciate the commentary, but it's not really in depth. For someone trying to learn Hamlet or understand it a first or second time around, it is probably very useful, but I didn't hear any truly thought provoking comments.

I really enjoyed listening to the narrator giving me additional information to make it easy to follow along.

Any additional comments?

I left Shakespeare in one of my boring high school English classes. What a fool I was back then not to use my English teacher to learn more about one of our greatest writers. This edition is the perfect way to re-introduce myself to Shakespeare.

Being from India, where English is a second language, I found new appreciation for this Shakespeare classic via the excellent commentary.

What did you like best about this story?

Hamlet is a complex character and it was difficult for me to earlier understand his psychology. I found new ways to understand and appreciate the grey, uneven texture of the human condition.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I was born and brought up in a traditional Hindu household in India where I was exposed more to dramatisation of the Hindu myths and legends. So, it was exciting to feel like a fly on the wall in a time when Europe was ruled by monarchy.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The scene where Hamlet spurns Olivia to make her hate him was particularly moving. So is the emotional and philosophical charge of the grave digger's scene when they unearth a skull of an old courtier and Hamlet realises aloud the futility of vanity and desire for material things.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

bhavna

london, United Kingdom

11/8/11

Overall

"This book is good one"

this book is good one and worth reading it as it is one of the books which deals with all types of characters.

0 of 13 people found this review helpful

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